Throughout the Bible we hear the call to treat one another with dignity and respect in the work place, which, very explicitly includes paying workers what they are due.
Unfortunately, as with many other often repeated refrains in the Biblical tradition like love your neighbor as yourself, business owners and business leaders do not always follow these moral principals. Too often, employers and company leaders alike bend to pressure from owners and shareholders who want always higher profits. So, cuts in spending are made where they should not always be made, which too often ends up being wages and benefits for employees. Too often, workers are taken advantage of in our society by employers.
For that reason, we, as a society, have affirmed for decades the importance of intervention in employer-employee relations through enacting laws that establish minimum wages and establish basic responsibilities that employers have with regard to treatment of workers, such as providing sick leave, offering parental leave, protecting the right to form a union, and more.
However, for far too long our minimum wage laws have lagged behind the cost of living, which means that too many people are forced to work not just one full-time job, but two or more to make ends meet. Over the past 40 years, we have seen the massive erosion of the middle class and stagnant wages among average working people. At the same time, economists are telling us that our economy is back and booming and business owners and shareholders are once again making record profits.
The raise in the minimum wage that passed this Tuesday at the LA Board of Supervisors' meeting did not happen in a vacuum. It was the result of years of organizing efforts among leaders and activists from the labor, faith and other communities and organizations.
In Pasadena, a group of community leaders called Pasadenans for a Livable Wage has been meeting over the past year to plan coordinated community events to pressure and encourage elected leaders in the region to raise the minimum wage. Several people active in Progressive Christians Uniting have been taking part in this grassroots coalition and were involved with organizing efforts around raising the minimum wage both in the City and County of LA, and now Pasadena
The newly elected mayor of Pasadena just announced that he will bring a proposal to City Council. We hope other cities in the region will continue this wave and raise living standards and quality of life for millions of our sisters and brothers.
Those of us in the faith community are responding to what we believe is God's call to stand in solidarity with working people for economic justice; a just wage and basic, common sense benefits. Your faith communities can join First Congregational Church of Pasadena (UCC), All Saints Episcopal Church Pasadena and many others in these efforts by endorsing the effort in Pasadena and organize similar efforts in others cities in our region. We encourage you to sign our letter, accessible here, and submit to us via email.
Peace and blessings,
Rev. Andy Schwiebert
PCU Board Member